2007 Toyota Avalon Visibility Problems

The dashboard melts/gets sticky when it is hot and humid outside. Once the dashboard is in the sticky state, it appears wet with melted/sticky plastic. When we look out the front windshield while driving, the sun reflects off of the extra shiny sticky dashboard and the experience of the entire front dashboard surface reflecting the sun is like looking directly into the sun. You cannot see out the front windshield because the glare is too severe because of the shiny dashboard top. Even with sunglasses on and visor down, it is impossible to see ahead of the car while driving because of the blinding glare. The glare off of the sticky dashboard and the reflection of the dashboard onto the inside of the windshield is very scary. The Toyota dealer said that they are aware of the issue and extended the warranty to replace the dashboard because of the problem, but they did NOT issue a recall. The extended warranty expired, ironically, this vehicle has been kept in a garage since it was bought in 2007 and only has 50,000 miles on it now...so we didn't know there was a problem until several years after their extended warranty expired in 2017. The dealer said that I would have to pay out of pocket to replace the dashboard and they would not pay for it. We called Toyota "Resolution Department" and they said the same thing. We asked them if they admit that it is a factory defect and it creates a dangerous driving situation, why would they not want to make it right?

NHTSA ID

11518741

Incident

Apr 14, 2023

2011: I NOTICED THE DASH FELT SOFT, NOT STICKY EXACTLY, BUT FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, PLIABLE. 2013: WHILE DRIVING ON VACATION I REALIZED MY VISIBILITY WAS TREMENDOUSLY IMPEDED BY THE INCREDIBLY OPAQUE GLARE IN MY WINDSHIELD FROM THE DASHBOARD. IT WAS SO BAD, I REALIZED I COULD MAKE OUT THE PATTERNED IMPRINT (DESIGNED TO RESEMBLE LEATHER GRAIN). THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE THIS GLARE AS LONG AS THE SUN IS OUT. IT SERIOUSLY IMPAIRS MY ABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY, IS OBVIOUSLY DISTRACTING, AND ADDED TO MY FATIGUE ON THE TRIP. A SAFETY ISSUE IF THERE EVER WAS ONE CAUSING DRIVER IMPAIRMENT DUE TO EYE STRAIN ADDING TO DRIVER FATIGUE. 2015: I NOTICED MY FIRST CRACK IN THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE AIRBAG. WITHIN A MONTH, I FOUND ANOTHER CRACK IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH. THIS IS A GARAGE KEPT SECOND CAR, USED FOR LONG TRIP COMFORT AND SUNDAY DRIVES. 2016: CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT PROGRESSING CRACKS IN DASH. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL BUT IT HAD ENDED 2 MONTHS EARLIER. SORRY BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. 2020: I AM WAITING FOR PIECES OF MY DASH TO FALL OFF. MY LATEST CRACK FOLLOWS THE INSTRUMENT COCKPIT TOP EDGE COMPLETELY ACROSS TO THE DRIVER'S DOOR CURVE. IT JUST SPLIT APART. THIS IS MY BABIED AND PROTECTED CAR, 2007 AVALON XLS WITH 64,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. MY FAMILY AND I HAVE OWNED TOYOTAS SINCE THE EARLY 80'S; COROLLA, TERCEL, CELICA, CAMRY, RAV4, AVALON. NOT ONE OF THEM EVER HAD A DASH PROBLEM. IN LOOKING AT COMPLAINTS HERE THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE ABOUT THE DASH. TOYOTA SHOULD STEP UP. WHO GETS TO DECIDE THAT ONE SAFETY ISSUE IS WORTH A RECALL BUT ANOTHER ISN'T? THE GLARE IS SO BAD THAT, MORE THAN ONCE, I HAVE BEEN NERVOUS ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE BRAKE LIGHTS WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE. IS IT FAIR THAT THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO OPERATE MY TOYOTA IS ON A CLOUDY DAY OR AT NIGHT? I HOPE EVENTUALLY ENOUGH COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS WILL HELP.

NHTSA ID

11365268

Incident

Apr 16, 2011

Mileage

20,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN THE DASHBOARD THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE OF A STICKY SUBSTANCE ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD DIMINISHED VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A WARRANTY FOR THE FAILURE HAD EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE WINDSHIELD HAS A CRACK* *LN*JB

NHTSA ID

11306728

Incident

Jul 11, 2019

REAR WINDOW SHADE WENT UP AND NOW WON'T GO DOWN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER A FEW MONTHS AGO AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN.WHEN THEY TOLD ME THE COST OF REPAIRING/REPLACING, I OPTED TO JUST NOT USE IT. A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT WENT UP AGAIN AND I AM NOT ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING AT NIGHT, TOOK TO THE DEALER AGAIN TO SEE IF THEY COULD PUT IT DOWN AGAIN AND I WAS TOLD I NEED TO CHANGE THE MOTOR ( ALMOST $1000) SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO IT. I TOLD THEM I CANT SEE AT NIGHT AND THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I FEEL THEY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE YOUR REAR WINDOW.

NHTSA ID

11219541

Incident

May 30, 2019

Mileage

112,000 mi

CPSC: 2007 TOYOTA AVALON: CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED THE WIPER BLADES, [XXX] NOTICED THE WIPER BLADES INTERFERE WITH THE BISION OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD, AND OVER THE HOOD.*SS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10910383

Incident

Aug 30, 2016

2007 TOYOTA AVALON IS EQUIPPED WITH A SUNROOF SO WHEN IT RAINS WATER GETS TRAPPED INSIDE VEHICLE FLOODING FLOOR BOARDS WHICH CAUSES FOUL ODOR IN VEHICLE. *JS

NHTSA ID

10452284

Incident

Mar 19, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED A WHITE POWDER RESIDUE EMITTED THROUGHOUT THE AIR VENTS UPON ACTIVATING THE DEFROSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS DUE TO THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN OF THE HEALTH RELATED ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

NHTSA ID

10440404

Incident

Aug 17, 2011

Mileage

31,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW CAME WITH A SUN SHADE THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY COME DOWN OR GO UP WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. SHE STATED THAT THE SHADE WOULD NOT COME DOWN WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AND WHEN THE SUN WOULD SET, THE SHADE WOULD CAUSE LIMITED VISIBILITY THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HER THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ANY FURTHER THAN ADVISING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10397042

Incident

Feb 5, 2011

Mileage

50,000 mi

FRONT WINDSHIELD IS GETTING MANY,MANY,MANY LITTLE CHIPS IN THE VIEWING AREA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10325210

Incident

Jan 1, 2010

Mileage

30,000 mi

DASH INDICATOR ON MY 2007 TOYOTA AVALON SIGNALED THAT WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID WAS LOW. I FILLED THE TANK WITH FLUID. THE NEXT DAY A POOL OF WASHER FLUID WAS ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 2/14/2009. I WAS TOLD LEAKING WAS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE THE OE LINE USED TO CARRY FLUID THROUGH THE SYSTEM WAS THE WRONG SIZE. THE DEALER REMOVED THE INCORRECT LINE AND REPLACED IT WITH THE RECOMMENDED CORRECT SIZED LINE. I WAS CHARGED $78.26 FOR PARTS AND SERVICE. WHEN I COMPLAINED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE OE WAS NOT THE RIGHT SIZE, I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT TOYOTA CORPORATE FOR RELIEF. MY COMPLAINT ELICITED A $47.50 "GOODWILL REIMBURSEMENT" ( WHICH WAS THE COST OF THE PARTS) ON 7/8/2009. *TR

NHTSA ID

10324102

Incident

Feb 14, 2009

Mileage

56,749 mi

WASHER FLUID BOTTLE LEAKS, ALL FLUID LEAKED OUT DURING A 4 HOUR FAMILY TRIP TO KANSAS CITY. TRIED FILLING WITH BOTTLED WATER, THE WATER JUST RAN RIGHT THROUGH. BUGS ON THE WINDSHIELD MADE DRIVING TOUGH, HAD TO STOP AND CLEAN THE WINDOWS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10225379

Incident

Apr 19, 2008

Mileage

17,055 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A REAR WINDOW CURTAIN FOR THE REAR GLASS. WHEN THE CURTAIN IS DOWN, THERE IS AN INCH AND A HALF BLACK STRIP THAT EXTENDS ACROSS THE WINDOW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STRIP PRODUCES A GLARE THAT IS VERY DISTRACTING WHEN DRIVING OR LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO BE OF ASSISTANCE AND STATED THAT THEY WILL CONSIDER THIS ISSUE WHEN DESIGNING THE UPCOMING AVALONS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 500.

NHTSA ID

10196774

Incident

Jul 12, 2007

Mileage

500 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FELL FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED TOYOTA WHO WAS UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE WINDOW BECAME DETACHED. TOYOTA SUGGESTED THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A CHANGE IN PRESSURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDOWS WERE ROLLED UP AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. CURRENTLY, THE TOYOTA DEALER HAS THE VEHICLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 190.

NHTSA ID

10194873

Incident

Jun 24, 2007

Mileage

190 mi